Showtime for Killer Killer Whale
March 30, 2011 10:42 AM Subscribe
Tilikum, a captive killer whale responsible for the deaths of three people, is back in the show at Seaworld, FL!
The controversy explains itself.
The controversy explains itself.
This post was deleted for the following reason: If this is worth posting about, it's worth better links than a wikipedia article and the Daily Mail. -- cortex
Look, he got his kills out of the way already. Let's not let it get in the way of selling tickets.
It's kind of like "Spider Man: Turn off the OSHA" or watching Charlie Sheen, some people do it because they want to see someone maybe kinda get killed.
posted by inturnaround at 10:46 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's kind of like "Spider Man: Turn off the OSHA" or watching Charlie Sheen, some people do it because they want to see someone maybe kinda get killed.
posted by inturnaround at 10:46 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maybe they should make these shows more like Roman times; how many people does the whale have to kill to earn his freedom!?
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 10:49 AM on March 30, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 10:49 AM on March 30, 2011 [5 favorites]
Tilikum, a captive killer whale responsible for the deaths of three people
It's crystal clear that Tilikum was not "responsible for the deaths of three people." According to your first link, in one incident a homeless man snuck into the orca tank and died of hypothermia. In another, Tilikum was one of three orcas involved in pulling a part-time trainer underwater. In the third, he was clearly solely responsible for a trainer's death. So, responsible for maybe 1.3 deaths.
posted by googly at 10:53 AM on March 30, 2011 [7 favorites]
It's crystal clear that Tilikum was not "responsible for the deaths of three people." According to your first link, in one incident a homeless man snuck into the orca tank and died of hypothermia. In another, Tilikum was one of three orcas involved in pulling a part-time trainer underwater. In the third, he was clearly solely responsible for a trainer's death. So, responsible for maybe 1.3 deaths.
posted by googly at 10:53 AM on March 30, 2011 [7 favorites]
He is a killer whale. Sometimes they kill things.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Doesn't really matter if he's doing shows or not. He's still stuck in a tiny tank like a prisoner.
These sorts of topics just make me sick. Not that it's a bad post, I just hate that we keep such intelligent creatures like this.
posted by Malice at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
These sorts of topics just make me sick. Not that it's a bad post, I just hate that we keep such intelligent creatures like this.
posted by Malice at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
Here's a more in-depth article from the Sentinel written earlier this week.
posted by muddgirl at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011
posted by muddgirl at 10:55 AM on March 30, 2011
So, responsible for maybe 1.3 deaths.
Which is ~ 1.3 more deaths than most orcas at Seaworld. Or, for instance, me. Then I'm not confined to a tiny tank and can get psychological help if I need it.
posted by tommasz at 10:57 AM on March 30, 2011
Which is ~ 1.3 more deaths than most orcas at Seaworld. Or, for instance, me. Then I'm not confined to a tiny tank and can get psychological help if I need it.
posted by tommasz at 10:57 AM on March 30, 2011
The local news channel literally had a helicopter orbiting Sea World, shooting the tank waiting for some action. I placed both palms on my face.
posted by cavalier at 10:59 AM on March 30, 2011
posted by cavalier at 10:59 AM on March 30, 2011
Maybe they should make these shows more like Roman times
Supposedly, the Colosseum hosted a spectacle wherein a wooden whale would rise from the floor, and 50 live bears would clamber out of its mouth and into the arena.
Do you want to post the Kickstarter page, or should I?
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:59 AM on March 30, 2011 [4 favorites]
Supposedly, the Colosseum hosted a spectacle wherein a wooden whale would rise from the floor, and 50 live bears would clamber out of its mouth and into the arena.
Do you want to post the Kickstarter page, or should I?
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:59 AM on March 30, 2011 [4 favorites]
> According to your first link, in one incident a homeless man snuck into the orca tank and died of hypothermia.
And did he do anything to help? No! He justsat floated there and watched the guy die!
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:00 AM on March 30, 2011
And did he do anything to help? No! He just
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:00 AM on March 30, 2011
in one incident a homeless man snuck into the orca tank and died of hypothermia. In another, Tilikum was one of three orcas involved in pulling a part-time trainer underwater. In the third, he was clearly solely responsible for a trainer's death. So, responsible for maybe 1.3 deaths.
If they train him to turn the heating he should probably get credit against saving future homeless people.
posted by biffa at 11:00 AM on March 30, 2011
If they train him to turn the heating he should probably get credit against saving future homeless people.
posted by biffa at 11:00 AM on March 30, 2011
Which is ~ 1.3 more deaths than most orcas at Seaworld.
It's also lower than the number of premature Orca deaths at Sea World facilities - maybe at this point they're just fighting back.
posted by muddgirl at 11:02 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
It's also lower than the number of premature Orca deaths at Sea World facilities - maybe at this point they're just fighting back.
posted by muddgirl at 11:02 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
Well, he was out looking for the real killer for awhile, but he kept getting stuck in the golf cart.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:04 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:04 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
It's completely repulsive that these companies are permitted to enslave and lock up highly intelligent creatures in ways that drive them to misery and insanity, all for the purpose of making a buck. (And not only because they're intelligent, that just makes it even more horrible.)
I don't hold this Orca or any other responsible for any deaths that occur due to their captivity, even if they intentionally kill their captor. I wouldn't expect less from any creature tortured in this way.
posted by jardinier at 11:05 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't hold this Orca or any other responsible for any deaths that occur due to their captivity, even if they intentionally kill their captor. I wouldn't expect less from any creature tortured in this way.
posted by jardinier at 11:05 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
> According to your first link, in one incident a homeless man snuck into the orca tank and died of hypothermia.
And did he do anything to help? No! He just sat floated there and watched the guy die!
According to the wikipedia article, the dude bit the whale. The killer whale. Christ, what an idiot.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:06 AM on March 30, 2011
And did he do anything to help? No! He just sat floated there and watched the guy die!
According to the wikipedia article, the dude bit the whale. The killer whale. Christ, what an idiot.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:06 AM on March 30, 2011
You know, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a giant mammal confined to live in a tank is responsible for zero deaths, no matter how many deaths he was involved in.
posted by auto-correct at 11:07 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by auto-correct at 11:07 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
I don't hold this Orca or any other responsible for any deaths that occur due to their captivity, even if they intentionally kill their captor.
I wouldn't hold an orca responsible for killing a human in the wild, either. It's a fucking animal, it doesn't have morals.
posted by empath at 11:08 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
I wouldn't hold an orca responsible for killing a human in the wild, either. It's a fucking animal, it doesn't have morals.
posted by empath at 11:08 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
Stop with the Daily Mail links as lead please. This is why.
posted by adamvasco at 11:09 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by adamvasco at 11:09 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Why is everyone against Seaworld making money? They provide much needed jobs for orca trainers and funeral home directors.
Don't any of you care about the economy?
posted by double block and bleed at 11:10 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
Don't any of you care about the economy?
posted by double block and bleed at 11:10 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
I don't want to make light of anything, but if you read the wikipedia page you can clearly see that this story involves, in part, Tommy Lee writing a letter describing whale masturbation.
Let's try not to bury the lede, people.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:10 AM on March 30, 2011
Let's try not to bury the lede, people.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:10 AM on March 30, 2011
Caught this episode on National Geographic the other day, The Whale that Ate Jaws. Good lord. Seen another documentary where an orca shucked a penguin like a pork tamale.
posted by damo at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by damo at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
According to the wikipedia article, the dude bit the whale. The killer whale. Christ, what an idiot.
You say idiot, I say ballsiest motherfucker on the block. Tomato, Tom-ahh-to.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2011
You say idiot, I say ballsiest motherfucker on the block. Tomato, Tom-ahh-to.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2011
It's a fucking animal, it doesn't have morals.
That's a joke, right?
I was sitting in my car in a parking lot yesterday. Randomly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse dorsal fin out in the straight. It didn't take long, and a group of orcas appeared, bulls, cows and little ones.
I've seen whales in captivity. Seeing them in the wild from a car, in a parking lot, in the rain is way more thrilling.
posted by klanawa at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011
That's a joke, right?
I was sitting in my car in a parking lot yesterday. Randomly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse dorsal fin out in the straight. It didn't take long, and a group of orcas appeared, bulls, cows and little ones.
I've seen whales in captivity. Seeing them in the wild from a car, in a parking lot, in the rain is way more thrilling.
posted by klanawa at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011
Yeah, if you want to go out, there's lots of less awesome options than "picked a fight with a killer whale by biting him and daring him to do somethin' about it."
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Tilikum is fully rehabilitated now, after several killer whale training sessions with renowned animal expert Cesar Millan. Cesar worked with both handlers and Tilikum to ensure the trainers reminded Tilikum who is in charge by using a calm, assertive energy. Tilikum has now accepted his place in the "back of the pack."
In interviews, Tilikum's Public Relations expert Ari Gold read a prepared statement by Tilikum. "Well, I now understand that I must listen to my trainers, rather than eat them. Cesar and I worked through many issues, including my bipolar disorder and separation anxiety since my wife left me back in 1998. Further, I underwent detox for my cocaine addiction at the Betty Ford Clinic. I hope to move on past this dark point in my life and career."
As part of the renewed contract, Tilikum will only be allowed to give "love bites" to trainers. Tilikum's salary was increased to include 400 daily herring and one baby seal per month.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
In interviews, Tilikum's Public Relations expert Ari Gold read a prepared statement by Tilikum. "Well, I now understand that I must listen to my trainers, rather than eat them. Cesar and I worked through many issues, including my bipolar disorder and separation anxiety since my wife left me back in 1998. Further, I underwent detox for my cocaine addiction at the Betty Ford Clinic. I hope to move on past this dark point in my life and career."
As part of the renewed contract, Tilikum will only be allowed to give "love bites" to trainers. Tilikum's salary was increased to include 400 daily herring and one baby seal per month.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
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